Management device, vehicle communication system, vehicle, vehicle communication management method, and vehicle communication management program

Abstract

A network of a new configuration is flexibly constructed while maintaining a stable operation in the network. A management device includes: a detection unit that detects addition of a function unit to a network including one or a plurality of on-vehicle function units; an acquisition unit that acquires function unit information of a new function unit that is the function unit the addition of which has been detected by the detection unit and function unit information of each on-vehicle function unit, each piece of function unit information including information regarding network configuration of a layer lower than an application layer; and a generation unit that, based on the pieces of function unit information acquired by the acquisition unit, generates configuration information of a new network that is the network further including the new function unit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle communication system comprising:
 a management device;   a storage device; and   one or a plurality of on-vehicle function units constructing a network, wherein   the management device detects addition of a function unit to the network, and acquires, from a new function unit that is the function unit the addition of which has been detected, function unit information including information regarding network configuration of a layer lower than an application layer,   the one or the plurality of on-vehicle function units each transmit, to the management device, its own function unit information including information regarding network configuration of a layer lower than an application layer,   the management device generates configuration information of a new network that is the network further including the new function unit, based on the function unit information acquired from the new function unit and on the function unit information received from the one or the plurality of on-vehicle function units, and   when feasibility of the new network is denied based on the function unit information and the configuration information, the management device newly generates configuration information based on a generation condition changed based on feasibility information indicating that the new network is infeasible, wherein   the function unit information includes information of a communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication, and a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs,   the new function unit does not have a VLAN ID at the time the addition of the new function unit to the network is detected, and   the management device assigns, based on the communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication and the VLAN ID of the VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs, the VLAN ID corresponding to the communication port used by the new function unit in the new network to the new function unit that does not have a VLAN ID yet.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the configuration information includes both (i) information of a communication port that the function unit uses for communication, and (ii) a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the function unit belongs. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the management device acquires the function unit information from at least one of the storage device and the on-vehicle function unit. 
     
     
         4 . A management device comprising a hardware processor configured to cause the management device to perform operations, and a storage device, the operations comprising:
 detecting addition of a function unit to a network including one or a plurality of on-vehicle function units;   acquiring function unit information of a new function unit that is the function unit the addition of which has been detected and function unit information of each on-vehicle function unit, each piece of function unit information including information regarding network configuration of a layer lower than an application layer;   generating, based on the pieces of function unit information acquired, configuration information of a new network that is the network further including the new function unit; and   when feasibility of the new network is denied based on the function unit information and the configuration information, newly generating configuration information based on a generation condition changed based on feasibility information indicating that the new network is infeasible, wherein   the function unit information includes information of a communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication, and a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs,   the new function unit does not have a VLAN ID at the time the addition of the new function unit to the network is detected, and   the generating includes assigning, based on the communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication and the VLAN ID of the VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs, the VLAN ID corresponding to the communication port used by the new function unit in the new network to the new function unit that does not have a VLAN ID yet.   
     
     
         5 . The management device according to  claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise notifying, based on the generated configuration information, at least one of the new function unit and the one or the plurality of on-vehicle function units which constitute the new network, of a setting content for performing communication in the new network. 
     
     
         6 . The management device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the function unit information is information that allows recognition of at least one of: specifications of a plurality of hardware devices in the new network and a topology of the new network; restriction on allocation of the new function unit and the on-vehicle function units to the hardware devices in the new network; and restriction on a communication method in the new network.   
     
     
         7 . The management device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the generating includes acquiring feasibility information indicating feasibility of the new network and corresponding to the generated configuration information.   
     
     
         8 . The management device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the generating includes changing generation condition, based on the acquired feasibility information, and newly generating the configuration information according to the changed generation condition.   
     
     
         9 . The management device according to  claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise storing the generated configuration information. 
     
     
         10 . The management device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the generating includes acquiring the feasibility information from another device.   
     
     
         11 . The management device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the generating includes generating the configuration information, on the basis of the pieces of function unit information acquired, while taking logical configuration and physical configuration of the new network into consideration.   
     
     
         12 . The management device according to  claim 4 , wherein the configuration information includes both (i) information of a communication port that the function unit uses for communication, and (ii) a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the function unit belongs. 
     
     
         13 . The management device according to  claim 4 , wherein the acquiring includes acquiring the function unit information from at least one of the storage device and the on-vehicle function unit. 
     
     
         14 . A vehicle communication management method performed by a management device, comprising:
 detecting addition of a function unit to a network including one or a plurality of on-vehicle function units;   acquiring function unit information of a new function unit that is the function unit the addition of which has been detected and function unit information of each on-vehicle function unit, each piece of function unit information including information regarding network configuration of a layer lower than an application layer;   generating, based on the pieces of function unit information acquired, configuration information of a new network that is the network further including the new function unit; and   when feasibility of the new network is denied based on the function unit information and the configuration information, newly generating configuration information based on a generation condition changed based on feasibility information indicating that the new network is infeasible, wherein   the function unit information includes information of a communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication, and a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs,   the new function unit does not have a VLAN ID at the time the addition of the new function unit to the network is detected, and   the generating includes assigning, based on the communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication and the VLAN ID of the VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs, the VLAN ID corresponding to the communication port used by the new function unit in the new network to the new function unit that does not have a VLAN ID yet.   
     
     
         15 . The vehicle communication management method according to  claim 14 , wherein the configuration information includes both (i) information of a communication port that the function unit uses for communication, and (ii) a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the function unit belongs. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle communication management method according to  claim 14 , wherein the acquiring includes acquiring the function unit information from at least one of a storage device and the on-vehicle function unit. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having, stored therein, a vehicle communication management program used in a management device, the program causing a computer to perform operations comprising:
 detecting addition of a function unit to a network including one or a plurality of on-vehicle function units;   acquiring function unit information of a new function unit that is the function unit the addition of which has been detected and function unit information of each on-vehicle function unit, each piece of function unit information including information regarding network configuration of a layer lower than an application layer;   generating, based on the pieces of function unit information acquired, configuration information of a new network that is the network further including the new function unit; and   when feasibility of the new network is denied based on the function unit information and the configuration information, newly generating configuration information based on a generation condition changed based on feasibility information indicating that the new network is infeasible, wherein   the function unit information includes information of a communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication, and a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs,   the new function unit does not have a VLAN ID at the time the addition of the new function unit to the network is detected, and   the generating includes assigning, based on the communication port that the on-vehicle function unit uses for communication and the VLAN ID of the VLAN to which the on-vehicle function unit belongs, the VLAN ID corresponding to the communication port used by the new function unit in the new network to the new function unit that does not have a VLAN ID yet.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 17 , wherein the configuration information includes both (i) information of a communication port that the function unit uses for communication, and (ii) a VLAN ID of a VLAN to which the function unit belongs. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 17 , wherein the computer includes a storage device, and the acquiring includes acquiring the function unit information from at least one of the storage device and the on-vehicle function unit.